Alexithymia
by Red Shagging Couch
Summary: AU – Rapunzel, under the guidance of her parents, uses her powers to help the people of her kingdom. Unfortunately, no one took into account the consequences that might come with her healing abilities. Five-shot; 17th century-Immortal!Rapunzel/Modern!Flynn


**Summary**: AU – Rapunzel, under the guidance of her parents, uses her powers to help the people of her kingdom. Unfortunately, no one took into account the consequences that might come from her healing abilities. Five-shot; 17th century-Immortal!Rapunzel/Modern!Flynn

**Author's Note**: Trying a new writing style, so…be gentle, I guess. But nevertheless, enjoy. -Aly

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**Prologue**:

she doesn't remember much, at this point, so she goes to her local library. A simple search through the directory leads her to the island's monarch history. She read under her name: "Rapunzel Sonnenlicht: known as the Child of the Sun. The Princess of Corona, a little girl of hair so luminous, it rivaled the brightness of the sun."

She smothers a sad, tired smile – the historian who authored this book made her life sound like a fairytale.

The large textbook tells her about the legend that surrounded her life. It talks about the illness she contracted as a young girl, the deal her parents made with the infamous sorceress Mother Gothel, in exchange for a healing "Flower of the Sun" and how her hair turned from brown to gold within the blink of an eye.

She hardly remember all of this, to be honest – it happened so long ago she could almost pass it off as a dream, something that only just arose from her subconscious, the result of an overactive imagination.

The scars on her scalp though, the ones hidden underneath her golden hair, beg to differ.

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_**Part One**_

_**Alexithymia**_ is _defined_ by: difficulty identifying feelings and distinguishing between feelings

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The earliest she remembers healing someone was when she was seven. It was her birthday and it was the second time she had used her power. (The first time was when she scrapped her knee while playing in the castle gardens; she were all alone and a tear slipped from her eye because she was so hurt and she didn't know where her governess was – she had escaped from her grasp to follow a gray rabbit hiding underneath a rose bush – but as soon as her tear splashed against her bleeding cut, the wound started healing right before her eyes. She told her parents but they only gave she pleasant smiles, ran their fingers through her light hair and praised her for having such a creative imagination.)

She remembers everything from that day.

A festival had been set up in the kingdom's main courtyards – a large celebration that began as soon as the sun went down and her parents lit up a paper-mâché lantern and let it float up to the sky.

It was mid-way through all the festivities that a noisy commotion by the central fountain caught her attention.

One of the elder advisors, from her parents High Council, had collapsed. She make her way through the crowd, ignoring the tugging of her skirts, people stepping atop the fine silk, as she elbowed through the throng of people.

Her mother, the queen, made it to Baroness Louisa at the same moment she did, and their eyes met for a brief moment before she turned away and called for the castle medics.

People were surrounding Baroness Louisa, murmuring about the old Councilwomen, concern flittering through the mass.

She fell to her knees and grasped Baroness Louisa's hand – she'd always been kind to, unlike some of the other, young, more ambitious members of the High Council; sneaking her candies after their weekly meetings, winking at her as she distracted her governess so her could run off and play.

She also knew the Baroness had a young daughter with her own child on its way, and that made her anxious.

The Baroness' grip was frail, weak.

So Rapunzel started wishing she'd get better, that it were possible for her gain enough strength to live and see her first grandchild.

She doesn't remember much after that though – she'd only heard what happened next from several other people and their personal accounts of what they'd witnessed.

But apparently her hair started glowing. Apparently she restored Baroness Louisa's youth.

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For weeks after her seventh birthday, her parents keep she hidden away in her room. Food, entertainment, toiletries, everything is brought to her room personally by them.

They smile at her kindly, but she notices something beyond that. Their eyes are worrisome, stressful, nervous.

She asks what's wrong. They don't tell her.

She grows restless, trapped in her room, so shes start painting on her walls and creating imaginary friends to play with.

It doesn't really help.

Finally, after thirty-five days of being kept concealed, her parents finally come into her room together.

They speak of things they discussed with the High Council, things that her tutors have been telling she wouldn't have to worry about for _years_.

They talk about her place as queen, about her duties to her people, the ability she possesses.

She tells them she doesn't know what they're talking about (and it's the truth, she don't know anything about her powers, not _really_), but they say it doesn't matter. The High Council has decided many things, most of which she don't understand, but they make one thing clear: she will now heal the kingdom.

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Her first stop is to one of villages off of the east side of the island. It's one of the poorest areas of her parent's kingdom.

Her mother and father come with her, along with several dozens of the royal guards. They create a barrier between her and the villagers crowding the streets.

They set up an area where she can meet with the subjects one by one. Some of them are ill – deathly so – other are simply old. Nevertheless she holds hands with each one of them until they are either cured or fresh and new.

After a while she understand what she are doing, and it makes her happy. Many of the villagers cry after she has touched them. They fall to her feet and sob, calling her their Golden Healer, their Child of the Sun.

She's young, but she thinks at this point she understands what pride is. She understand satisfaction. She understand what it means to give.

And she couldn't be happier.

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She sighs and slowly closes the book in her hand. So much has changed since then, she thinks, and she wonders how different her life – her kingdom – would be if her powers had remained a secret.

(She wishes they had.)

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It's three weeks later when she decides to go back to the library to check out the book with her false life story written under the 17th century monarch linage section.

It's important to remember, she decide, regardless of how much it hurts.

On her way out of the history aisles, she bumps into a young man. He excuses himself, but not before giving her a cocky smirk and winking.

She gives him a polite smile.

But leaves before he can even get a word out.

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**End note**: This has not been edited, so please feel free to inform me of any spelling mistakes or any inconsistencies. Thank you.


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